Same-sex marriage has become officially legal in Slovenia, with the country becoming the first in Central Europe to do so.
The law was originally passed ten months ago after a referendum rejected a draft of the bill that would also have granted same-sex couples adoption rights.
The MP who introduced the bill, Matej Vatovec, said: “Slovenia is entering the 21st century.” He said passing marriage equality would ensure the country became “a truly tolerant and inclusive community.”
A lesbian couple got married in the large Slovenian city of Maribor on Saturday, according to local reports.
Ksenija Klampfer, who hosted the wedding, said: “We believe that such marriages are an important step towards formation of an inclusive society where people have equal rights.”
Local LGBTI activists praised the move but said there’s still work to be done.
While the law gives same-sex and heterosexual couples the same rights, same-sex couples are still banned from jointly adopting children.
Lana Gobec, a spokesperson for local LGBTI group Legebitra said: “This is a big step forward, but we’ll continue to strive for full equality between heterosexual and same-sex couples.”
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